Democrats return to Capitol Hill today, five weeks after leaving town. While they were gone, their GOP colleagues staged a revolt on the House floor. Republicans will officially welcome back the majority party at a 3 p.m. rally on the U.S. Capitol steps.Throughout the five-week congressional recess, Republicans ushered tourists and other visitors to the House floor to hear impassioned speeches about the high cost | Read More »

On the 18th day of the House GOP’s energy protest in the U.S. Capitol, Republicans chided Speaker Nancy Pelosi for refusing to allow a vote on their all-of-the-above energy plan. Meanwhile, 1,700 miles across the country in Denver, a crowd of angry protesters sent that message to Pelosi directly.During a press conference at the Democratic National Convention, Pelosi was repeatedly interrupted by protesters chanting “drill | Read More »

Bill Colley left Bridgeville, Del., on Monday morning and headed West to Washington, D.C. — on his bicycle. Colley, a radio talk-show host for WGMD, had listened to so many callers on his show complaining about the high cost of gasoline that he decided to do something about.Riding his bike about 114 miles to Washington, D.C., the 46-year-old Colley arrived this morning in time to | Read More »

Over the past two weeks, House Minority Leader John Boehner has traveled the country in support of Republican candidates, raising money and talking about the GOP’s uprising on the House floor. Boehner was back on Capitol Hill today to kick off day 14 of what’s been called the Don’t Go Movement. I had an opportunity to sit down for a one-on-one interview.Before we talked, Boehner | Read More »

With the House Republican floor protest entering its 14th day and the offshore drilling moratorium set to expire in just over a month, some on the left seem resigned to the fact that Democrats have lost the debate over offshore drilling and more energy production. Others have resorted to irrational arguments that higher gas prices actually signal a policy victory by the left.Asked to respond | Read More »

Listening to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid talk about T. Boone Pickens, you’d think the two were in perfect harmony with a solution to America’s energy problem. There’s just one problem: Reid is listening to only what he wants to hear from the legendary Texas oilman.While there’s no question Pickens is talking about wind, solar and biofuels, he’s also made quite clear that he favors | Read More »

UPDATE — Aug. 15, 9:51 p.m.: My apologies to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. There’s no reason for him to sign the letter because it is addressed to him and Majority Leader Harry Reid. His name has been crossed off the list. That leaves 10.Facing a competitive race back home, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) could have ducked the debate over the soon-to-expire offshore drilling ban. | Read More »

UPDATE — Aug. 15, 3:26 p.m.: Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has signed the letter. Click here for an update to this post. UPDATE — Aug. 15, 9:51 p.m.: My apologies to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. There’s no reason for him to sign the letter because it is addressed to him and Majority Leader Harry Reid. His name has been crossed off the list. That | Read More »

Nancy Pelosi was bound and determined to make sure that a vote on the issue of offshore drilling never reached the House floor.That determination is rapidly falling by the wayside:House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday night dropped her staunch opposition to a vote on offshore oil drilling in the House.Republicans, reacting to high gas prices, have demanded a vote on additional oil exploration in the | Read More »

Believe it or not, I am frequently the one arguing in favor of compromise and coalition building in order to get things done. But a modicum of party discipline and common sense has to be involved or strategic compromise becomes surrender.It seems a few GOP Senators can’t see the difference. Kimberley A. Strassel brings us the ugly truth: Politics has its puzzling moments. John McCain | Read More »

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in Ann Arbor, Mich., tonight promoting her new book. Next week she’ll make stops in several California cities before swinging through Denver on her way to the Democratic National Convention (view complete schedule). Unfortunately for Pelosi, Americans aren’t buying it — the book has an Amazon sales rank of 1,567.As she talks about her legacy in posh book stores, millions of | Read More »

Potent enough that even as Nancy Pelosi opposes it, she is compelled to tell members of the House Democratic Caucus that they can feel free to dissent from her hard line. Now that this fissure is public, it would behoove the GOP to shine a big, gleaming spotlight on it and see what it can do about emphasizing and increasing the differences between House Democrats | Read More »

Mulligan! shouts the man with the two faces. “I uh, well yes surely I support gun control” “Make sure you get that on camera” Barack Obama goes from Jimmy Carter legacy crusader to used car salesman in just whoa! few days. It seems that the Illinois Senator didn’t just change his boxers before he left the house. Now Senator Obama shifts on his long opposition | Read More »

OK, that’s the part that’s supposed to point outwards. Generally, the idea is to stick the sharp bit in your opponents.Op-pon-ents. O… P… P… What? No, your opponents. Not Mitch McConnell’s: Reid plan splits Dems By Alexander Bolton Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has split the Democratic front opposed to drilling with a plan that would open new areas for exploration. Reid’s proposal was | Read More »

Back during the 2006 elections, Democrats complained that Republicans would not allow them to bring issues near and dear to the hearts to the floor of the House for a vote and promised that if they took the majority, they would show the grace and kindness to the minority that Republicans never showed them.We see with the current debate over offshore drilling that such promises | Read More »